1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner that may be alternatively operated as a stand alone, upright vacuum cleaner and as a canister vacuum cleaner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Canister vacuum cleaners are known, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,588,943 and 4,357,729, having a power nozzle with a beater brush driven by a motor coupled to the beater brush by a belt or the like. The power nozzle in such canister vacuum cleaners is typically coupled to a wand having an air flow passageway therethrough, the wand being coupled to a handle. The handle further includes an air flow passageway that is coupled to a hose having an air flow passageway leading to a dirt receptacle in a canister unit that includes a suction fan driven by a motor.
Stand alone, upright vacuum cleaners are also known as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,138 having a power nozzle with a beater brush driven by a motor coupled to the brush by a belt or the like wherein the motor also drives an impeller or suction fan for directing dirt from the power nozzle through a conduit to a dirt receptacle.
Canister vacuum cleaners and stand alone, upright vacuum cleaners have different advantages associated therewith. However, neither type of vacuum cleaner has been able to fully provide the advantages associated with the other type of vacuum cleaner to the user.